Packaging affects every operation throughout the supply chain, from planning and the procurement of raw materials to shipping and distribution to store shelves. When supply chain disruptions and delays occur, brands and consumers feel it almost immediately.

To address these impacts and challenges, brands can use innovative solutions to simplify the supply chain and ensure sustainable, cost-effective packaging. Here’s how to achieve it.

Key Supply Chain Management Challenges in Packaging

With optimized packaging solutions, the benefits impact the producer, transportation providers, and warehouses. Producers can improve the way they fill, store, and handle packages. Transportation providers can be more efficient in loading vehicles and optimizing the weight of their loads. And warehouses can more easily and quickly pick, stack, store, and replenish products.

Together, these solutions positively impact consumers and brands who want to use packaging that’s both convenient and environmentally responsible. To make these solutions possible and improve supply chain management, two primary factors need to be addressed:

Raw Materials Sourcing

Material scarcity can result in manufacturing delays for plastics, glass, and other packaging. Additionally, growing demands for sustainable and recyclable packaging can make it more challenging for brands to access the materials they need.

The availability and cost of raw materials for packing and shipping materials can also affect the packaging supply chain. According to one estimate, the cost of raw materials used in shipping supplies increases by as much as 50 percent per year.

Packaging Variety and Complexity

The need for packaging in different shapes, sizes, colors, and other elements puts additional strain on the supply chain, as do caps, lids, and dispensing pumps because they can all increase inventory and warehousing costs. For example, preformed plastic bottles take up 10 times more space on trucks than AeroFlexx Paks, which ship flat and without additional closures.

Packaging variety can also make it challenging to predict consumer demand. It can increase stock-keeping units (SKUs) that hinder a manufacturer’s ability to accurately forecast demand for each finished product. These SKUs can also take up valuable warehouse space.

How AeroFlexx Addresses Supply Chain Management Challenges

AeroFlexx Pak liquid packaging uses less plastic, energy, and storage and shipping space, and it can help brands overcome supply chain challenges related to material scarcity, rising costs, and other disruptions. This innovative solution offers:

Sustainability

Each Pak is constructed with a built-in, easy-tear closure; therefore, it doesn’t require labels, molds, or extra dispensing parts, nor does it require the packing materials and shipping costs associated with the added pieces and labels. This also reduces warehouse inventory.

Flexibility

Our streamlined processes make it possible to manufacture different sizes and fills. The Pak is tamper-proof and omnichannel-ready off the line.

Simplified Sourcing

Each Pak is constructed with a built-in, easy-tear closure; therefore, it doesn’t require labels, molds, or extra dispensing parts, nor does it require the packing materials and shipping costs associated with the added pieces and labels.

Cost-Effective Shipping

Prep-free shipping doesn’t require extra packing materials such as bubble wrap and styrofoam, which means using fewer trucks and less gas to ship. In fact, when Paks are flat, 10 times as many fit on a truck than plastic bottles.

Unlike plastic water bottles, Paks do not need to be sent to repackers to have extra materials put on, nor does extra labor need to be hired on the line to add the extra protective packaging.

Omnichannel Shipping Durability

Paks are ready for omnichannel distribution right off the filling machine production line. Whether the Paks are transported from manufacturer to retail, retail stores to consumers, or from e-commerce sellers to consumers, they remain free of damage and leaks during transport. And we’re not just saying this—we’ve tested it. In a 24-foot drop test, plastic bottles and pumps were damaged, but AeroFlexx Paks dropped safely without damage or leaks.

SKU Harmonization

AeroFlexx Paks eliminate the need for separate SKUs for e-commerce; there’s one SKU for brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce.

Certified Package Testing

All Paks are ISTA 6 approved for ships in their own container and over boxing, so they can be shipped in an envelope or box—and nothing more.

Better Supply Chain Management with AeroFlexx

Packaging impacts every link in the supply chain. When you choose a product that simplifies the shipping, distribution, and procurement processes, you can experience more reliable supply chain management.